Adam Link is a fictional

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be ...

, made in the likeness of a man, who becomes self-aware, and the protagonist of several

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...

short stories written by Eando Binder, the pen name of Earl Andrew Binder and his brother, Otto Binder. The stories were originally published in the science fiction magazine ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...

'' from 1939 to 1942. In all, ten Adam Link stories were published. In ''The American Robot: A Cultural History'', Dustin A. Abnet says that Adam was the "most popular science fiction robot of the era".

Overview

The first story, published in January 1939, was " I, Robot" (not to be confused with the book of the same name by

Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and ...

). The story is written in the first person, from the point of view of a newly sentient robot, in the form of a written confession. In the story, the robot explains that it was built and educated by Dr. Charles Link. When Dr. Link dies in an accident, the housekeeper assumes that the robot murdered his master, and the robot goes on the run. At the end of the story, the robot realizes that its flight endangers other living creatures, and prepares to turn itself off. Immediately popular, the robot was featured in nine more stories published in ''Amazing Stories''. The character was translated into the comic book medium in the pages of EC Comics' ''

Weird Science-Fantasy ''Weird Science-Fantasy'' was an American science fiction-fantasy anthology comic, that was part of the EC Comics line in the early 1950s. Over a 14-month span, the comic ran for seven issues, starting in March 1954 with issue #23 and ending with ...

'' in 1955, and then in Warren Publishing's '' Creepy'' in the mid-60s. In 1964, the original story was also adapted for television in ''

The Outer Limits ''The Outer Limits'' or ''Outer Limits'' may refer to: Television * ''The Outer Limits'' (1963 TV series), a black-and-white science fiction series that aired from 1963 to 1965 * ''The Outer Limits'' (1995 TV series), a revival of the older series ...

''. Paperback Library published a mass market paperback collection entitled ''Adam Link - Robot'' in 1965, which tells the character's story in a

first person narrative A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-teller ...

from Creation to Citizenship in twenty-one chapters. The collection ends with an Epilogue, encouraging humanity's future. The volume was reprinted in 1970 by Fawcett Crest Books and by Warner in 1974;

Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remain ...

also reprinted the book.

Stories

All stories were published in ''

''. * " I, Robot", Jan 1939
story
* "The Trial of Adam Link, Robot", July 1939
story
* "Adam Link in Business", Jan 1940
story
* "Adam Link’s Vengeance", Feb 1940
story
* "Adam Link, Robot Detective", May 1940
story
* "Adam Link, Champion Athlete", July 1940
story
* "Adam Link Fights a War", Dec 1940
story
* "Adam Link in the Past", Feb 1941
story
* "Adam Link Faces a Revolt", May 1941
story
* "Adam Link Saves the World", Apr 1942
story

Influence

Isaac Asimov says that his robot stories were influenced by the first Adam Link story: "It certainly caught my attention. Two months after I read it, I began ' Robbie', about a sympathetic robot, and that was the start of my positronic robot series. Eleven years later, when nine of my robot stories were collected into a book, the publisher named the collection ''I, Robot'' over my objections. My book is now the more famous, but Otto's story was there first."

Adaptations

"I, Robot" and "The Trial of Adam Link, Robot" were adapted for a 1964 episode of the television show ''

'' called " I, Robot". In the 1995 revival of ''The Outer Limits'', the show again aired an adaptation titled " I, Robot". Both versions featured

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...

. The series has been adapted for comic books twice, once for EC Comics' ''

'' in 1955 (issues 27-29), and again for

Warren Publishing Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades. Magazines published by Warren include '' After Hours'', '' Creepy'', '' Eerie'', '' F ...

's '' Creepy'' in 1965-67 (issues 2, 4, 6, 8–9, 12–13 and 15). In each case, the adaptation was scripted by Binder and drawn by

Joe Orlando Joseph Orlando (April 4, 1927 – December 23, 1998) was an Italian American illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades. He was the associate publisher of '' Mad'' and the vice president of DC Comics, w ...

. Both series were discontinued before they could be completed. In 1964, an adaptation of "Adam Link's Vengeance" was published in the fanzine ''Fantasy Illustrated'' # 1, script by Otto Binder and illustrated by

D. Bruce Berry Douglas Bruce Berry (January 24, 1924 – September 30, 1998) was an American comic book artist who is best known as the inker of several of Jack Kirby's comic book series in the 1970s. Biography D. Bruce Berry was born in Oakland, California ...

and

Bill Spicer Bill Spicer (born October 1, 1937) is an editor and publisher who spearheaded the 1960s movement away from commercial comics, opening the gateway to underground, alternative, and independent comics, notably with his publication ''Graphic Story Ma ...

, the adaptation won the Alley Award for Best Fan Comic Strip of the same year.Schelly, Bill. ''Founders of Comic Fandom'', 2010.
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References

External links

a

* * {{IMDb title, 0667904, The Outer Limits (1995) "I, Robot"i-robot.html "I, Robot" on The Outer Limits (1964) Link, Adam